Fuel dispensing nozzle

Abstract

A fuel dispensing nozzle is disclosed and includes a housing having a hollow main body portion and a handle portion with a hand-grip spaced from the main body portion, an elongate nozzle body mounted in the main body portion of the housing and having a fuel passageway extending longitudinally therethrough in a generally straight line devoid of any abrupt changes in direction, main valve means disposed in the fuel passageway for controlling the flow of fuel through the nozzle, manually operable valve actuating means, a spout for insertion into the fill opening of a vehicle fuel tank and having three integrally formed passageways therethrough comprising a fuel passageway, a vapor recovery passageway and a shut-off, venturi-vacuum passageway, a vapor recovery passageway through the main body and handle portions of the housing, a venturi-vacuum means for shutting off the flow of fuel through the nozzle when the vehicle fuel tank is full, attitude responsive means for preventing the opening of the main valve when the nozzle is not in the proper attitude for insertion of the spout into the fill opening of the vehicle fuel tank and attitude responsive valve means in the vapor recovery passageway in the housing for closing the vapor recovery passageway when the nozzle is not in position for insertion of the spout into the fill opening of the vehicle fuel tank. The housing and nozzle body are molded of a composite resin and the spout is extruded of a lightweight metal.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fuel dispensing nozzle characterized by improved user friendliness comprising: (a) a main body portion having a fuel passageway extending from an ingress end of the main body portion to an egress end thereof substantially along the longitudinal axis of said body portion, the ingress end of said main body portion being adapted to be connected to a hose for delivering fuel from a pump to said nozzle, said main body portion having top and bottom portions substantially parallel to said fuel passageway,   (b) a spout carried by the egress end of said main body portion and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom, said spout including a fuel dispensing passageway extending therethrough and being communicatively connected to said fuel passageway in said main body portion for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank,   (c) main valve means mounted in said main body portion for controlling the flow of fuel through the fuel passageway in said main body portion,   (d) handle means carried by the top portion of said main body portion and extending outwardly and upwardly therefrom and having a grasping portion spaced upwardly from said main body portion, and   (e) main valve actuating means mounted on said main body portion and operatively connected to said main valve means for opening said main valve means to dispense fuel through said nozzle, said main valve actuating means including trigger means extending upwardly through the top portion of said main body portion toward said grasping portion of said handle means for ready access to a user holding said nozzle by said handle means, whereby said nozzle may be readily grasped by a user while the nozzle is disposed on a dispensing pump and manipulated to dispense fuel into a vehicle fuel tank without the hand of the user coming into contact with the main body portion of the nozzle.   
     
     
       2. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 1 wherein said main body portion is elongated and said grasping portion of said handle means extending outwardly and upwardly from the top of said main body portion at an acute angle relative the longitudinal axis of said main body portion. 
     
     
       3. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 1 wherein said handle means is elongate and is connected at opposite ends thereof to said main body portion of said nozzle at spaced apart locations. 
     
     
       4. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 3 wherein said grasping portion of said handle means extends outwardly from said main body portion at an acute angle thereto and the remainder of said handle means extends inwardly from the outer end of said grasping portion to said main body portion at an acute angle to said main body portion. 
     
     
       5. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 3 wherein said handle means has a series of spaced projections on the side thereof facing and adjacent to said trigger means, and including clip means carried by said trigger means for selective engagement with one of said projections for holding said trigger means in main valve actuating position. 
     
     
       6. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 5 wherein said clip means is elongate and is pivotally mounted on said trigger means at a medial location therealong, said clip means having a first end portion adjacent said handle means which when engaged by a finger of a user operating said trigger means will pivot toward the outer end of said trigger means and into operative engagement with said series of spaced projections and a second end portion distal from said handle means which when engaged by the finger of a user operating said trigger means will pivot said first end portion away from the outer end of said trigger means and said series of projections. 
     
     
       7. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 6 including means for biasing said clip means away from the outer end of said trigger means and said series of projections. 
     
     
       8. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 1 wherein said main body portion is elongate and said fuel passageway therein provides a generally straight fuel flow path devoid of abrupt changes of direction. 
     
     
       9. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 8 wherein said main valve means moves longitudinally of said main body portion between its open and closed positions. 
     
     
       10. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 9 wherein said main valve means includes a valve seat surrounding said fuel passageway, a valve member within said fuel passageway and cooperating with said valve seat for closing said passageway when seated on said valve seat and for opening said passageway when moved away from said valve seat, a valve stem connected at one end to said valve member and being mounted for reciprocating, longitudinal movement in said main body portion and projecting outwardly of said main body portion at its other end, and means biasing said valve stem and valve member toward said valve seat and closed position. 
     
     
       11. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle includes shut-off means for stopping the flow of fuel through said fuel passageway in said nozzle when the vehicle fuel tank is full. 
     
     
       12. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 11 wherein said shut-off means includes venturi means communicating at one end with said fuel passageway in said main body portion and with a vacuum chamber at its other end for creating a vacuum in said vacuum chamber in response to fuel flow through said fuel passageway, a shut-off passageway in said spout communicating with the open outer end of said spout at one end thereof and with said vacuum chamber at the other end thereof, and vacuum responsive means operatively associated with said vacuum chamber and connected to said trigger means for disconnecting said trigger means from said main valve means upon a predetermined vacuum being created in said vacuum chamber. 
     
     
       13. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 1 including attitude responsive means for disconnecting said trigger means from said main valve means when said nozzle is not in the proper attitude for insertion of the outer end portion of said spout into the fill opening of a vehicle fuel tank and for reconnecting said trigger means to said main valve means when said nozzle is in the proper attitude whereby the dispensing of fuel through said nozzle is prevented except when said nozzle is in the proper attitude for the dispensing of fuel into a vehicle fuel tank. 
     
     
       14. A fuel dispensing nozzle characterized by improved user friendliness comprising: (a) a housing comprising an elongate, hollow main housing portion open at its opposite ends and having top and bottom wall portions extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main housing portion and an elongate handle portion connected at its opposite ends to said top wall portion of said main housing portion with the medial portion of said handle portion being spaced upwardly from said top wall portion of said main housing portion to define a hand grip adapted to be grasped by a user,   (b) an elongate nozzle body portion mounted within said main housing portion and having a fuel passageway extending from an ingress end of said nozzle body portion to an egress end thereof substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main housing portion, the ingress end of said nozzle body portion extending out of one open end of said main housing portion and being adapted to be connected to a hose for delivering fuel from a pump to said nozzle, said egress end of said body portion communicating with the other open end of said main housing portion,   (c) a spout carried by said main housing portion and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom said spout including a fuel dispensing passageway therethrough communicatively connected to said fuel passageway in said nozzle body portion for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank,   (d) valve means mounted in said nozzle body portion for controlling the flow of fuel through said fuel passageway in said body portion, and   (e) valve actuating means mounted on said nozzle body portion and connected to said valve means for operating said valve means to dispense fuel through said nozzle, said valve actuating means including trigger means extending upwardly from said body portion through said top wall portion of said main housing portion and toward said handle portion for ready access to a user holding said nozzle by said handle portion, whereby said nozzle may be grasped and used by a user without the hand of the user coming into contact with any portion of said nozzle through which fuel passes.   
     
     
       15. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 14 wherein said housing further includes a hanger portion mounted on said bottom wall portion and extending downwardly therefrom for hanging said nozzle on a pump when not in use. 
     
     
       16. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 15 wherein said hanger portion is removably mounted on said main housing portion for removal and replacement with a hanger portion of a configuration corresponding to a particular pump with which said nozzle is to be used. 
     
     
       17. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 14 wherein said housing is molded of a composite resin. 
     
     
       18. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 14 wherein said nozzle body portion is molded of a composite resin. 
     
     
       19. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 14 wherein said hand-grip portion of said handle portion of said housing is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said main housing portion. 
     
     
       20. A fuel dispensing nozzle characterized by increased safety and environmental protection, said nozzle comprising: (a) a main body portion having a fuel passageway extending from an ingress end of said main body portion to an egress end thereof, the ingress end of said main body portion being adapted to be connected to a hose for delivering fuel from a pump to said nozzle,   (b) a spout carried by the egress end of said main body portion and extending outwardly therefrom, said spout including a fuel dispensing passageway extending therethrough and being communicatively connected to said fuel passageway in said main body portion for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank,   (c) main valve means mounted in said main body portion for controlling the flow of fuel through said fuel passageway in said main body portion,   (d) main valve actuating means mounted on said main body portion and operatively connected to said main valve means and adapted to be operated by a user for actuating said main valve means to dispense fuel through said nozzle, and   (e) attitude responsive means mounted in said nozzle and operatively connected to said main valve actuating means for preventing said main valve from being opened by said main valve actuating means except when said nozzle is in an attitude corresponding to the proper position for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank, whereby the inadvertent dispensing of fuel from said nozzle is prevented when the nozzle is not in proper position for dispensing fuel into a vehicle fuel tank.   
     
     
       21. A fuel dispensing nozzle according to claim 20 wherein said attitude responsive means comprises a pendulum-like member pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end thereof, a weight mounted on said member adjacent the lower end thereof, and disconnect means connected to said valve actuating means for deactivating said valve actuating means when said nozzle is not in the proper attitude for dispensing fuel.